Harvest of Fire: Burn to Bounty on Mount Diablo

The Morgan Fire in 2013 turned 3,100 acres of Mount Diablo into what looked like a moonscape. But beneath the scorched earth lay the seeds of a remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime transformation. In the springs following the fire, plants bloomed that hadn't been seen on the mountain in decades -- and might not be seen again for another generation.

he Morgan Fire was almost the perfect fire: no major damage, no lost property, no lost lives. When the flames died down in September 2013, Mount Diablo began a regeneration that over the next few years will show us a new side of the mountain and teach us new lessons about an ecosystem built for fire. Check back here on the first of each month for new stories and photos from this rare, fascinating recovery.

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The temperature rises to well over 90 degrees on Mount Diablo these days—hot enough to bake many small plants. But the little green shrubs have just begun to stage their comeback. It’s springtime in the chaparral.Diablo Recovery

A team of researchers, with a grant from Save Mount Diablo, has installed hidden cameras in a variety of plots around the Mount Diablo burn area to see what sort of large wildlife shows up.Diablo Recovery

After a fire, botanists hustle out to burned areas to identify surviving and regenerating species. They’ve often got only a few leaves to go on, some from species that haven’t been seen for decades. So it’s tough. Want to test your skills against those of the botanists?Diablo Recovery

An expert in rare plants, Heath Bartosh is especially interested in “fire followers,” plants whose seeds stay buried in the ground until heat or smoke stimulates germination. These annuals flourish for one to three years. And then they’re gone—until the next fire. Climate Change | Diablo Recovery

The Morgan Fire transformed more than 3,100 acres of meadow, chaparral, and woodland on Mount Diablo’s south and east sides, including Perkins Canyon. “It was a once-in- a-generation event,” says Seth Adams — the biggest fire on the mountain since 1977.Diablo Recovery | Habitats: Land | Recreation